() — to pray, to entreat; to hope for, to seek; (Surname) Qi

Definition

祈 is a bound literary verb meaning 'to pray' or 'to entreat', almost always seen as part of a two-character word like 祈祷, 祈求, or 祈福 rather than used alone.

bound form
to prayto entreatto hope forto seek(Surname) Qi

Examples

  • Tā měi tiān qí dǎo.
    He prays every day.
  • Rén men qí qiú píng ān.
    People pray for safety.
  • Zhè wèi yǎn yuán xìng qí.
    This actor's surname is Qi.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
jīn⁰qí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

祈 has 示, an altar, on the left; 斤 on the right gives the character its sound.

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